Large sensitivity enhancement in semiconducting organic field effect transistor sensors through incorporation of ultra-fine platinum nanoparticles

Journal Article · Mon Nov 04 00:00:00 EST 2013 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4829145· OSTI ID:22254142

Zheng, Haisheng; Ramalingam, Balavinayagam; Korampally, Venumadhav; Gangopadhyay, Shubhra ^[1]

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1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65201 (United States)

We report remarkable improvement in sensitivity of pentacene-based field effect transistor devices towards trace nitro-aromatic explosive vapors through the incorporation of high density, sub-2 nm platinum nanoparticles (NPs) within these structures. Exploiting the unique electronic properties of these NPs, we have demonstrated a detection limit of 56.6 parts per billion of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) vapor while control samples without any embedded NPs showed no observable sensitivity to DNT vapor. We attribute this remarkable enhancement in sensitivity to the ability of these NPs to function as discrete nodes, participating in the charge transfer with adsorbed nitro-aromatic molecules.

• OSTI ID: 22254142
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 103, Issue 19; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS
MOLECULES
NANOSTRUCTURES
PENTACENE
PLATINUM
SENSITIVITY
SENSORS